Extensible pallet



Sept. 25, 1956 J. L. SCHOENECKER 2,764,377

EXTENSIBLE PALLET Filed April 23, 1954 INVENTORS /060 L'fc/me/wecA er kBY ATTORNEY United States Patent EXTENSIBLE PALLET John L. Schoenecker,Albany, N. Y.

Application April 23, 1954, Serial No. 425,335

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-120) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec.266) The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufacturedand used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without thepayment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to pallets of the type commonly used withfork-lift trucks in the moving and storage of goods and merchandise,usually in the form of a plurality of boxes, crates or the like stackedon each pallet. It is frequently necessary therefore to maintain asupply of pallets of different sizes for advantageously handling boxesor the like of varying sizes. Also, it is highly desirable that the deckof the pallet be completely covered, that is, be devoid of cracks oropenings through which any of the stack of articles mounted on thepallet, might fall.

It is an object of the present invention therefore to provide a palletwhich is extensible to at least two difierent sizes so as to reduce thenumber of different sizes of pallets to be kept in storage.

Another object of the invention resides in embodying in an adjustable orextensible pallet a detachable deck board which may be inserted in thedeck when adjusted to the large size to therefore avoid any openingsthrough which the goods might fall, and which may be removed from thedeck surface and retained on the underside of the pallet when the palletis to be adjusted to a smaller size.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the novel pallet inverted and adjustedto its smaller size, with the loose deck board about to be inserted onthe pallet base;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the pallet in upright position andadjusted to its largest size with the loose deck board about to beinserted in the space provided for it;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the pallet in upright position, adjusted tosmaller size, and showing in dotted outline the adjustment to full size;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Figure 4 showingthe pallet adjusted to its largest dimension;

Figure 6 is a transverse view taken on line 66 of Figure 3, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the joints betweenthe loose and fixed boards.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the pallet which, asheretofore indicated, is of extensible or adjustable construction,includes two series of stringers 1 and 2, one series of which namely,those indicated by the reference numeral 2 are provided with two sets ofslots 3. The stringers of the other series, that is, those indicated bythe reference numeral 1 are provided with a pair of bolts 4 which extendthrough the pair of slots 3 in the other series of stringers and receivewashers 5 and nuts 6 by which they are secured in position.Additionally, spacing washers 7 may be mounted on the bolts 4intermediate their ends and located between the stringers of the twoseries. From the construction thus far described, it will be apparentthat the two series of stringers may be adjusted lengthwise at least adistance corresponding to the length of the slots 3 and may be held ineither of the two positions by tightening up on the nuts 6 if desired,or a certain amount of friction may be provided in the sliding movementby only slightly tightening up on the nuts.

The deck or upper portion of the pallet is formed of a plurality ofboards here indicated as 6 in number. A set of three of these boards aredesignated by the numeral 10 and are in substantially abuttingrelationship on the upper edges of the stringers 1. A set of two otherdeck boards 11 are fixed to the opposite ends of the stringers 2 and arealso arranged in substantially abutting relationship. The innermost deckboards 10 and 11 are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than thewidth of a loose' deck board 12 when the stringers are adjusted to theiroutermost positions which is to be inserted in the space 13 between theinnermost deck boards. The loose deck board 12 is provided with rabbetedportions 14 on its longitudinal edges for cooperation with similarrabbeted portions 15 on the adjacent edges of the innermost deck boards10 and 11. When the pallet is to be adjusted to its largest dimension asindicated in Figure 2 the loose deck board 12 is placed in the space 13so that the rabbeted portions 14 and 15 are brought intointer-engagement by slightly moving the two sections of the pallettowards each other. For the purpose of locking the loose board 12against longitudinal movement dowel pins 16 are provided for engagingcorresponding openings 17 formed in the innermost deck boards 10 and 11.It will be understood however that the dowel pin 16 may be fixed in theboards 10 and 11 if desired rather than in the loose board 12. The baseof the pallet is composed of two sets of base boards 18 and 19, theboards 18 being secured to the stringers 1 while the boards 19 aresecured to the stringers 2. In this face of the pallet, it is notnecessary that the boards be placed in abutting relationship inasmuch asit is not ordinarily employed for directly supporting the goods.However, the innermost boards 18 and 19 are, when the pallet is adjustedto its smaller position, spaced apart a distance corresponding to thewidth of the loose board 12, as indicated by numeral 20, so that therabbeted portions 14 of the board will interlock with the rabbetedportions 21 formed on the adjacent edges of the boards 18 and 19. Hereagain the loose board 12 may be interlocked against longitudinalmovement by engaging the dowel pins 16 in apertures 22 formed in therabbeted edges of the boards 18 and 19. To adjust the pallet from itslargest size as shown in Figure 5 to its smallest size as shown inFigure 4 it is only necessary to move the sections slightly apart so asto release the loose board 12 and thereafter place it in the opening 20in the underface of the pallet and move the sections towards each otheruntil the rabbeted edges cooperate with the similarly formed edges ofthe board 12 to interlock therewith, it being understood that the dowelpin 16 will engage in the openings 22 in the boards bordering theopening 20.

From the foregoing description taken in connection I with theaccompanying drawings, it will be apparent to those skilled in the artthat I have devised an exceedingly simple construction of adjustablepallet which may be formed of either wood or light metal; that theconstruction is such that the upper or deck portion of the pallet isformed of one continuous imperforate surface regardless of whether thepallet is adjusted to its smallest or largest size and that provision ismade for conveniently supporting or storing the loose board 12 in anout-of-the-way position when the pallet is adjusted to its smallestsize.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described what I nowconsider to be a preferred form of construction but since various minorchanges may be made in Patented Sept. 25, 1956 structural details,without departing from the-spirit of the invention, it is intended thatall such changes be included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An. adjustable palletcomprising two series of slidablfy connectedstringers, means for limiting the sliding movement thereof, a set ofdeck boardsfixed tothe outer ends of each series of stringers, the totalwidth of the two sets of deck boards being such as to provide a spacebetween the innermost boards of the two sets when the stringers areadjusted to their outermost positions, a loose deck board seated in thespace between said two sets of deck boards, and means for securing saidloose deck board against longitudinal movement.

2. An adjustable pallet comprising two series of. slidably connectedstringers, means for limiting the sliding movement thereof, a set ofdeck boards fixed to the outer ends. of each series of stringers,the-total width of the two sets .of deck boards being such as to providea space between the innermost boards of the two sets when the stringersare adjusted to their outermost positions, said innermost deck boardsbeing rabbeted at their adjacent edges, a loose deck boardhaving itsopposite edges rabbeted and seated in the space between said two sets ofdeck boards, a set of base boards secured to each of the two series ofstringers on the opposite side of the pallet, said sets of base boardsbeing spaced apart a distance approximating the width of the loose deckboard when the pallet is adjusted to its smaller size, the adjacentReferences. Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSErickson Dec. 24, 1940 Warren June 12, 1945 Weiss Aug. 6, 1946',

